Thunderbirds from all over North America recently made their way to the region, and were able to give back to the youth of the area.

Approximately 55 Ford Thunderbirds made their way to the region last week for a three-day event, July 26-28, to take in the sights and sounds of Northeast Tennessee and surrounding areas. While the group was able to have some fun, the end result is now seeing Carter County and Elizabethton students have more of a resource when it comes to reading.

Ron McCloud, Carter County Car Club president and event organizer, welcomed Liz Smith and Lilo Duncan Monday afternoon to present $4,100 to go toward the Carter County Imagination Library provided by the Stateline Cruise II.

Proceeds from the donation were gathered during an auction of Thunderbird items at the Saturday Cruise-In.

“This is a soft spot for me,” McCloud said about the goal of raising funds for the program. “We wanted help the Imagination Library with their goal of serving the community. This is a program the Club supports. The Stateline Cruise II was ecstatic to help.”

McCloud credited several individuals for the auction being a success, including Nancy Gioia — a key contributor to the Ford Company in a high-ranking level — and Washington County native Brenda Clark.

It was a memorable weekend for attendees, McCloud added. Over 100 people were in town, ranging from 19 states and the province of Ontario, Canada, to take part in a variety of activities in Carter County, and across the state line.

Action got underway Thursday when attendees visited Beef ‘O’ Brady’s for dinner and capped off the night at the State Line Drive-In for a special movie showing. Friday also featured some moving and shaking in Tennessee and North Carolina.

The Stateline Cruise started in Mount Mitchell, N.C., as participants were able to visit and eat in the area before coming back to Elizabethton to visit Amigo’s Restaurant and concluded the evening with a showing of “Liberty!” at Sycamore Shoals State Historic Park.

Prior to the Cruise-In, the Stateline participants started with a visit to Bristol Motor Speedway. Drivers also had lunch and shopped in Virginia before concluding the evening with a catered meal by City Market.

McCloud added the event is a way to encourage fellowship from car owners, along with showcasing what Northeast Tennessee and the surrounding area has to offer for those that visit.

“It was a great time,” McCloud said. “The weather cooperated and everyone seemed to enjoy the experience.”